Spike Lee to shoot “Passing Strange” musical

Yowza. I’m a little late reporting this (just got back from vacation, folks) but Spike Lee is about to trip out bigtime on “Passing Strange.” The famed filmmaker is set to shoot Stew’s hit alt-rock musical ”Passing Strange,” which made its world premiere at Berkeley Rep and got workshopped at Stanford before nabbing a Tony on Broadway. The tuner’s producers are reportedly financing the production, which is slated to air on cable television. This is smokin’ news, not only for fans of the feisty rock musical but for all of us who yearn for a reinvention of the Broadway musical genre that ain’t afraid to be fierce. Rock on Stew.